The Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has noted the recent public discussion around the statement, “Skip breakfast if you want to lose weight.” We wish to provide an evidence-based perspective to guide the public.
Current scientific evidence does not support a blanket recommendation that people who want to lose weight should routinely skip breakfast.
Research examining breakfast and weight management has produced mixed findings. Some short-term intervention studies have found that people assigned to skip breakfast consumed fewer calories and experienced a small reduction in body weight compared with those assigned to eat breakfast. However, the differences in weight were modest, the studies were generally of relatively short duration, and the quality of some of the evidence was limited.
Other reviews of randomized trials have found no meaningful difference in body weight, body mass index, body fat or waist circumference between people assigned to eat breakfast and those assigned to skip it. In addition, observational and longer-term studies have frequently found that people who habitually skip breakfast are more likely to have overweight or obesity, with some studies reporting greater weight gain over time. These observational findings cannot establish that skipping breakfast causes weight gain, but they further demonstrate that the relationship between breakfast and body weight is not straightforward.
Importantly, weight change should not be considered in isolation from overall health. Evidence has shown that although breakfast skipping may be associated with a small reduction in body weight in some studies, it has also been associated with an increase in LDL cholesterol. Observational research has additionally reported associations between habitual breakfast skipping and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and mortality. These findings do not prove that breakfast skipping directly causes these health outcomes, but they warrant caution before breakfast omission is promoted broadly as a weight-loss or health strategy.
Eating breakfast is only part of the picture; what you eat, how breakfast fits into the rest of your day, your health status, appetite patterns, medication use and overall weight-management goals all matter. A Registered Dietitian can help you assess these factors and develop a meal plan that is nutritionally adequate, practical, sustainable and appropriate for your individual needs.
The Ghanaian context is particularly relevant. Local studies indicate that breakfast can make an important contribution to the energy and nutrient intakes of children and adolescents. Research has also shown that for some young people in Ghana, missing breakfast may reflect limited food availability rather than a deliberate health or weight-management choice. Public nutrition messages about breakfast should therefore be communicated with sensitivity to both individual and socioeconomic circumstances.
Our position
“The Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics does not support the general recommendation that “if you want to lose weight, you should skip breakfast.”
Current evidence does not indicate that skipping breakfast is necessary for successful weight loss. The evidence is mixed, and the decision to eat or skip breakfast should be considered within the context of the individual’s overall diet, health, lifestyle and weight-management plan. It is recommended that, the general public seek guidance and counseling on similar dietary matters from Registered Dietetics and Nutrition Professionals.
For future interviews regarding nutritional informations, Please do not hesitate to contact our Public Relations Officer (P.R.O ) on +233 20 824 2175 to make a Dietitian/Nutritionist available for nutritional recommendations.
For further discussions on this particular matter, Kindly Contact the numbers below;
Rev. Prince Baidoo +233 20 863 3903
Dr. Nana Kofi Owusu +233 24 496 7408
Mrs. Fredericka Otoo +233 54 652 9090